Latin America

Threatened for her struggle against the human slave trade and human organ trafficking; she is a reference point for many wishing to escape from violence and rape; for this Brazilian Sister, the fight goes on. For years now she has had an armed guard and she has become a sort of nuisance. Death threats are…

Boj, which originates from the northern region of Alta Verapaz, has a cultural and spiritual meaning to the Q’eqchi’ people, it is served at religious celebrations and indigenous festivities. The inhabitants of the Alta Verapaz department say that the basic ingredient of this drink is corn, which has cooked on a wood fire for three…

Its name means “The Place of Adjacent Mounds.” This site was contemporary with Tikal and Palenque. Calakmul was at its peak between around 431 and 790 A.D. but it was already an important city in the late Pre-classic, with dated monuments being erected around 200 A.D. Calakmul was inhabited for 1500 years and was a…

Once the Pearl of the Pacific, it is now a hell inhabited by those involved in the drugs trade and warring criminal bands. Acapulco has become one of the most dangerous cities in the world. One of its parish priests, Father Hugo Hernandez, describes it for us. Saint Nicholas of Bari is a small blue…

According to indigenous wisdoms, life on Pacha (earth) originated from water and water is vital to life on Pacha . Water is the source of life of our Mother Earth and the source of all kinds of life, be it animal, plant, human, or otherwise. Therefore, any action or project that refers to water should…

In the Nahuatl language, spoken in the central region of Mexico, Machincuepa means somersaults or ‘pirouette’. For hundreds of adolescents and young people in the outskirts of Mexico City, Machincuepa also means relaxation and recreation, but, at the same time, a school of life in circus artistry that transforms them from living a life of…

The drug-mafias have become experts in organization and logistical planning for the management of the dispatch and distribution of drugs by sea. The Sea Route 10, the Narco-Highway. The international drugs trade uses, for the most part, a means of transport that has been in use since time immemorial, that of maritime vessels, used today…

For the Quechua, death does not mark an end but a transition from this life to another different experience. Dying means to be reborn to continue living a new life, a new beginning. Death therefore is considered as part of life, its continuation in the Janaj pacha (the world beyond). Quechua peoples see death as…

There is no place in Mexico where the cult of the dead is not celebrated with feasting and ritual. Among the indigenous peoples, the encounter with the dead is feast, ceremony, identity and reflection. A journey through some celebrations of the country. In the heart of the land of the Tsotsil people stands San Pedro…

In a small town near the heart of the Brazilian Amazon region, two Sisters help support the poor agricultural workers in their struggles for land and better living conditions. In a simple wooden house on an unpaved street in the violent town of Anapu, near the heart of the Brazilian Amazon region, live Sr. Jane…

Every town and city has its own tales, myths, and legends that make up part of the culture of Nicaraguans. Those who appear to be the simplest folk, all the while guarding the treasure of the traditions of their ancestors. León is the second largest city in Nicaragua, after Managua. It was founded by the…

The agricultural and metal products of Amazonia are exported on a large scale. For example, in 2012, the income of Brazilian exports of soya and meat produced in Amazonia amounted to around $9 Bn. Chinese demand has been the driving force behind this expansion: today and Brazil exports around 70% of its soya production to…